Elizabeth Clamon, Speaker

Lupus Treating Naturally

First things first…What is Lupus? I know when my family physician told me she thought I may have Lupus, my first reaction was, “what in the world is that?”. Knowing me as well as she did, her simple answer was, “an autoimmune disease, stop at the book store on your way home so you can research it.” Of course she was absolutely right, the first place I went was the book store. This is what I learned…

Lupus is a multi-system, autoimmune, inflammatory, viral disease effecting between 1.5 and 2 million Americans, most are women between 15 and 45 and 80% of them are African American, Asian, and Hispanic. In Lupus the immune system can’t tell the difference between viruses, germs and bacteria and your body’s own healthy tissue. This leads the immune system creating antibodies that attack and destroy healthy tissue, therefore leading to inflammation, pain and damage any/or all body parts. Lupus is characterized by flares, where symptoms worsen, and then goes into remissions, when symptoms improve.

The most common type of lupus is Systematic Lupus Erythematosus, which attacks several different body organs. Lupus can be drug-induced and caused by using one of over 400 legal prescription drugs. Other types of Lupus include Cutaneous Lupus, which mainly attacks skin and forms a butterfly-shaped rash on the face, and Lupus Nephritis, which attacks the kidneys. Symptoms of lupus include chronic pain, skin rashes, mouth sores, extreme fatigue, mood changes, swelling of hands and feet, nausea, vomiting, depression, anxiety, seizures, fevers, weight loss or gain, chest pain, hair loss, ulcers, swollen lymph nodes, and anemia. Invisible Illness; what is it?